


RE: Decide

by birbteef



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Character Study, Drabble, Gen, M/M, Tumblr Rec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-14 11:44:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11782455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birbteef/pseuds/birbteef
Summary: After Breakdown's capture by MECH and subsequent release by the Autobots, Knock Out and Breakdown discuss their standing with the Decepticons. (Tumblr ask box request.)





	RE: Decide

**Author's Note:**

> A request on tumblr by user aliciachan-rp who asked: "Can I request a fic where Breakdown and Knockout join the autobots after they save him? Pleeeeeeaaaaaaaase????"
> 
> :3c yes you can.

Megatron had wanted to leave Breakdown for dead because of his mistake in getting captured by MECH. Somehow he thought he was surely at least worth enough to send a search party out for but the revelation he wasn’t was disheartening at best. He knew he should have expected it, really. The fact that Starscream of all mechs from “his side” had to come and save him simply because he thought Breakdown was stupid enough to manipulate stung in an even worse way.

On his return to the medbay Knock Out had told him they hadn’t even informed him that Breakdown was missing, let alone that he had been captured and left for scrap on the surface. Knock Out should have known. Even if Megatron hadn’t wanted him alive Knock Out should have been informed. the thought that his husband wouldn’t even be told so in the event of his potential death left him feeling uneasy and sick. 

It was Starscream or Soundwave’s explicit priority to inform him. He knew why they hadn’t, their relationship being private and all, but Knock Out was still his immediate superior officer and should have been informed for that reason alone if nothing else. They knew that Starscream knew, and suspected Soundwave and several of Breakdown’s vehicon command chain knew. There was no reason Breakdown could think of that made any sense at all that Knock Out hadn’t been informed other than their leader was just a dick. 

He sat and chewed on an excess bite strip, mushing the silicone between his teeth as he thought about it. They had to leave. This environment wasn’t...good. It’s not like their constant roadtrip on the surface had been better, but at least the dangers had been different. He could manage having to stay online for days at a time because Knock Out was paranoid there were humans following them. He could handle navigating harsh terrain to get to where they wanted to be. But these politics? These weird interpersonal spats and relationships? He’d rather leave that behind.

He knew Knock Out was having a hard time of it too. He was trying to suck up to Starscream to keep him happy while also not stepping on any toes. While Knock Out was much better at this internal politics than Breakdown could possibly hope to be, it was clearly dragging on his husband to keep up the constant performance of pretending to care. 

The bite strip snapped in half and Knock Out looked up from his computer, giving Breakdown a worried glance. “Does it hurt? I can get you more meds if you need.”

Breakdown shook his head, the dull throb from his missing eye not really bothering him. “I think we should leave.”

Knock Out didn’t answer him for a moment, just regarding the sentiment. “As in...leave leave?”

“I think so.” He laid back slowly, taking some of the pressure off of his chest. Somehow the welds there hurt more than the eye did. “Staying here isn’t doing me any favors.You either. All you do is clerical work on the computer and put Starscream’s arms back on.”

Knock Out got up from his console and made his way over to where Breakdown was laying on the bed. Sitting down by Breakdown’s head he asked, “And when do you intend to leave?”

“Dunno. Maybe...soon. I could...ask Bulkhead. Maybe.” He stared down as his hands, pulling the insides of the bite strip out of its casing.

Knock Out rested a hand on Breakdown’s head, running two of his claws along Breakdown’s nasal ridge and up to his little pointed audials, scritching them gently. “I’m getting tired of the politics. I don’t think the Autobots would have any better relations though.”

“Maybe not, but at least they don’t leave their members for dead.”

“Well…” Knock Out leaned over and rested his crest against Breakdown’s. “We’re not supposed to either. Pretty sure that’s just a Megatron thing.”

Breakdown didn’t respond to that immediately. Instead closing his eye and focusing on Knock Out, glad he was there with him. “I guess that’s true. Still fed up with him though. If nothin’ else we can probably trade information for supplies.”

Knock Out’s EM field pulsed gently around him, “If we even have information they need. I’ll go with you but all I know is who Starscream hates and frankly it’s everyone including Starscream.” 

With a shrug Breakdown let his own field press back against Knock Out’s. “I know some stuff about the mining operations.”

“Is that what we’re doing then?” Knock Out pressed his lips to Breakdown’s crest. “We can even leave tonight if you want. It certainly won’t hurt my feelings any.”

Breakdown grinned and arched his head back to kiss at Knock Out’s chin. “Then we’ll go.”

\--

They sent their message to the autobots, just a short note simply saying they were leaving the Decepticons, given the current circumstances. If the Autobots approached them then they wouldn’t be aggressive unless they were approached aggressively. 

And they left. Nearly as immediately as they had came. Knock Out raided the medical supplies for things he could shove into his and Breakdown’s sub space trailer and they were gone within the hour. 

They took the ground bridge to a place in the pacific northwest, away from human activity but still interesting and beautiful to look at. They could have gone anywhere but that was an easy enough location away from decepticon activity. They figured someone would notice they were missing by the time evening rolled around or Megatron called for an officer meeting. They could be tracked through the space bridge but they hoped they could get far enough away by just driving away from the location as quickly as possible. 

And they did. As far as night came and softly crested into a pre-dawn morning they had no contact with either Decepticon nor Autobot comms or frequency. It was quiet, just them and the occasional human on the road.

\--

The Autobots contacted them first. A message ping from Optimus Prime himself, written in the same respectable manner in which he spoke. It simply asked if their offer was genuine, and gave them a formal request to see if they truly wanted to join the Autobot cause. 

Breakdown read the note several times over, watching Knock Out do the same in his own HUD. “We have to accept it, right? Like that’s what we’re doin.”

“I...think so? I didn’t realize it would be this easy.” Knock Out replied. “I’m trying to see if there’s some kind of catch in the glyphs or modifiers but honestly his dumb Iaconian dialect is so ancient I can’t recognize any.”

“He doesn’t seem like the kinda guy to put a catch in his modifiers. He’d do it straight to our faces.” Breakdown laughed. “He’s not like Swindle or nothin.”

“hmm...Maybe. Maybe.” Knock Out pondered a moment before just sending the tagged comm link with a signature and location ping. 

Within a minute of sending it a giant green groundbridge portal opened up before them. They gave each other a look, steeled themselves, and hesitantly walked through.


End file.
